1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera having a mode selection means and a display means.
2. Description of the Related Art
Full automatic single-lens reflex cameras on the market these days are arranged to be much easier to operate than cameras of the old manual operating type. These new cameras have come to enable the people referred to as "high amateurs" to take such photographs as were possible only professional cameramen in the past. As a result, the number of people using the single-lens reflex camera has increased of late, including even those who do not possess little knowledge of cameras.
However, for the people having little knowledge of cameras, even a highly automated single-lens reflex camera is still difficult to handle and is desired to be further improvements in operability are desired.
Some of the single-lens reflex cameras which have recently been improved are provided with exposure control mode selection dials which permit the camera operators to select and set one of various exposure control modes as desired by turning the dial. However, symbols or letters marked on the surface of the dial are the capital letters of technical terms relative to cameras. The technological matters imported by such symbols or letters are comprehensible only by people having a certain amount of knowledge of cameras. Therefore, the people who do not know little about cameras or are unaccustomed to the use of single-lens reflex cameras have not been enabled by the provision of the above-stated dial to adequately utilize the performance capability of the camera.
Further, the results of research recently conducted have revealed the following: A relatively large number of users are not satisfied by the uncomprehensibleness of the exposure compensating operation and the indications provided on the camera for the operation. Meanwhile, it has become apparent that the exposure compensating operation is unnecessary for camera users who know little about cameras, because the meaning of exposure compensation is not sufficiently understood by them. Accordingly, the indications relative to the exposure compensation are not necessary for these people.
Further, in the above-stated automatic single-lens reflex camera, information on the exposure control mode selected by means of the dial is arranged to be displayed on the image plane of an external display device provided on the upper surface of the camera. However, since the information is not shown on the image plane of a viewfinder, the camera operator must move his or her eye temporarily away from the viewfinder in confirming the exposure information prior to a shutter release. This arrangement has put the camera operator to inconvenience.